George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, today announced the Autumn Statement and Spending Review which outlined the current state of the economy and Government future plans.
The three main highlights from a transport perspective were: confirmation of a commitment to capital spending; secondly a further shift of devolution of powers to a local level; and, thirdly a confirmation of the amount of the apprentice levy. Further details on these announcements can be found below.
CIHT's Director of Policy & Technical Affairs, Andrew Hugill, said:
“CIHT welcomes the confirmation in today's combined Autumn statement and CSR of the importance of investment in transport infrastructure.
“The confirmation of the Road Investment Strategy, funding for HS2 together with confirmed levels of capital funding for highways maintenance on the local road network in England are all welcome. The importance of transport to the devolved administrations was also addressed in the statement.
“The emphasis on reform of local authorities continues. There was confirmation of devolved powers for new combined authorities and elected mayors. This may assist in delivering funding for key infrastructure. The structure of local government revenue funding will change over the life of this parliament and how this effects the local transport network will need to be carefully assessed to ensure additional capital funding is used effectively.
“The amount of the apprentice levy was announced in the statement showing a commitment to addressing the skills shortage across the sector but the impact of the levy will need careful monitoring.”
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